Sunday, November 28, 2010

Book 10 Part 2

What I enjoy about this book in particular are the subtle hints of foreshadowing alluded by Homer in the text. Small, seemingly meaningless events, such as the way the ship came into the harbor of each island, render a much greater significance.

Upon first arriving in the Laestrygonian land, Odysseus “anchored [his] black ship outside, well clear of the harbor’s jaws” (104-5). There is a definite correlation to this quote and the fate of the crew when on the island. Because the natives turned out to be giants that wanted to eat them all, the crew ended up steering clear of their jaws as well.

During the arrival to Circe’s island, Odysseus notes that, “we brought our ship to port without a sound as a god eased her into a harbor safe and snug” (154-5). Once again, the crew’s fate is sealed not only as evidenced by this tiny hint of foreshadowing, but also since they are being lured in by the archetypical temptress. It takes one of the crewmembers to stand up, a year later, to break the strong bond of “snugness” that Circe had enveloped around them.

I also noted that the islands that had smoke rising in the background signified that the crew’s fate in the new land wouldn’t turn out well.

I spotted one example of situational irony during Odysseus’ attempted voyage back home after his departure from Aeolus’ island. It was rather ironic that the day the crew finally came close to reaching their homeland, Odysseus missed out on the opportunity to see his loved-ones because of his sudden fatigue, which seems odd since the book mentions how suddenly he is overcome: “We were so close we could see men tending fires. But now an enticing sleep came on me” (34-5). Not only that, but it was the same day that the crew had the brightest idea to let their greed come out and cause the ship to be pulled dramatically off-course. Without a doubt, Homer meant to plant this small seed of irony.

Book Ten’s focus of epic machinery was mainly on epithets and patronymics. My favorite epithet was Circe’s title for Odysseus when she realized that he was the one from Hermes’ prophecy that had come to betray her. She calls him “Odysseus, man of twists and turns” (366). What I enjoy is the connection to the text, the usage of alliteration, and the reference to a previous episode in The Odyssey. The epithet is reminiscent of the prophecy that Polyphemus in Book 9 had heard from Telemus about a great warrior’s arrival. I found it interesting how both Circe and Polyphemus underestimated the stature of their feared warrior and were surprised to see how they both had been tricked. I also enjoy the emphatic repetition Homer adds into the verses of many books of the epic.

One example of patronymics is when Odysseus reaches the Laestrigonian land and comes upon a girl. Odysseus addresses her as “Antiphates’ strapping daughter—king of the Laestrigonians” (117) and does not provide a name or any information about her. It isn’t that we don’t necessarily need to know, it just seems as though Odysseus looks down upon women and doesn’t give them a chance to provide useful information themselves. They are simply there to point the way to the “real” power: men.

If there is one topic from the introduction that shows its meaning in Book 10, it is the definition of an odyssey: a series of adventurous journeys usually marked by many changes of fortune. This plays out during Odysseus’ departure from and re-arrival to the Aeolian Island. He first leaves with a feeling of satisfaction for being looked up to for his experience in the Trojan War. He also feels respected, since he has been pampered for a month by the king and queen and has been provided with everything needed for his journey. His fortune completely reverses after his re-arrival. He’s looked down upon and cursed because the king and queen feel that the gods hate him, he isn’t provided with any gifts, and he feels depressed—on the verge of death, even. Odysseus’ odyssey tampered with fortune and rocked his world.

How do literary devices like epithets enhance literature?

5 comments:

  1. Very insightful once again. Homer does make wonderful use of alliteration, epithets, and other literary devices to make this epic an enjoyable read. The descriptions are all well thought out and even if the descriptions given could be summarized with shorter words, the stature of rhyme and pattern is kept throughout. The foreshadowing imagery is indeed displayed with any situation but I feel that they've been embellished by Odysseus himself to make his tale more enjoyable. After all, he is a master of craft and trick.
    One of the interesting things you pointed out was Odysseus' view of women. While his actions are indeed noticeable, I believe that was usual of the Ancient Greek Period.
    Furthermore, it is indeed in book 9-12 that Odysseus' story of changes in fortune and adventure takes a wild turn as he describes his journey since the Trojan War. The introductory materials all come up within these books, describing Odysseus' personality and his changes in luck regarding the natives. All these literary devices are Homer's masterpiece that makes the Odyssey all the more enjoyable.

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  2. Stephen I completely agree with you on how using these devices makes the poem more interesting and pleasing to the reader. My personal favorite is when Homer describes Dawn "with her rose-red fingers shone once more...". He uses this line all through out the book and I just love it so much. But yeah, I agree on how the descriptions of certain things are well thought out and pretty lengthy in some cases. This actually paints a picture and foreshadows throughout the novel. I think if Homer were to drop all the epic machinery, the poem would primarily lose it's importance of events. But with it, the poem becomes a piece that one does not wish to put down.

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  3. I agree that a lot of the time these epiphets are used very well and they provide a more in depth description of the thing that Homer is describing, but I don't think that that is always the case. Sometimes Homer uses the epiphets simply to make a sentence be a certain length to fit the meter that he uses to write his epic poem. Sometimes the adjectives that he uses are decently irrelevant and in a way take away from the quality of writing in the story.

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  4. Epithets enhance literature by showing the significance of the person being described. If Odysseus wants to show how well known he is, he says that he is the son of the war hero, Laertes. Also, if a higher up, like a king, wants to show his approval and honor Odysseus, he might call him by his father’s name, which improves Odysseus stature. It also gives them more depth and tells the readers that they are like their fathers, if they refer to themselves as their fathers.

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  5. Epithets give background on the person being described and it gives each person an opportunity to make a statement to the people he is being introduced to. I agree with Steven that Homer's use of epithets makes the poem more interesting and a better read. The use of epithets is also an indicator at some points for odysseus, if he chooses to introduce himself using an epithet he believes himself to be relatively safe, but if he lies and says he is someone else he is tricking his host because he believes himself to be in a potentially dangerous situation.

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